Railway-switch



{No Model.)

J. F.3RUHLAND.. RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented May 10, 1898.

wnwm MN u l N N UNITED STATES` .roi-IN F. RUHLAND, oF

RAILWAY- lwELLs'roN7 MISSOURI.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,707, dated May 10, 1898. I

Application filed August 31 1897.

.To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. RUHLAND, of the city of Wellston, St. Louis county, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- aet description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to railway-switches; and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a railroad-track with my switch in position for operation,parts being broken away to economize space and parts being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 is a 1ongitudinal section taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and looking inthe direction indieated by the arrow 3. l Fig. 4 is a view of the mechanism carried by the engine for throwing the switch. Fig.'5 is a plan view of a modification.

My object is to provide a switch which may be operated from a moving engine, motor, or car.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 5 and 6 are rails of Vthe main line, 7 and 8 the rails of the side track or branch track, and 9 and 10 the movable rails, which constitute the switch and throw the train from the main line to the side track, and vice versa.` rllhe free ends of the rails 9 and 10 are connected by the tie-rod 11 in such a manner that said free ends are moved simultaneously and in such a manner that when the free end of the rail 9 is moved away from the main-line rail 5 the free end of the rail 10 is moved against the main-line rail 6, as required, to pass the train through on the main line, and when the free ends of said rails 9 and 10 are moved in the opposite direction the train passes onto the side track.

The rock-shaft 12 is mounted in bearings 13, which bearings are fixed to the ties 14 half-way between thev main-line rails. At

one end of the rock-shaft 12 is a housing 15, and at the opposite end is ahousing 16. The

, eXtreme ends of the shaft 12.

housings 15 and16 provide bearings for the Serial No. 650,188. (No model.)

A beveled gear 17 is mounted upon the shaft 12 within the housing 15. A stub-shaft 18 is mounted in a vertical position in a bearing in the hous.

ing 15, and a beveled gear 19 is mounted upon the lower end of said stub-shaft in mesh with the beveled gear 17. A plate 2O is Xed to the upper end of the stub-shaft 18. An arm 21 projects horizontally from said plate, and

a similar arm 22 projects horizontally from" said plate at right angles to the arm 21. A crank 23 is formed in the shaft 12 knear its center, and a connecting-rod 24 connects said crank with the free end ofthe rail 10, as required, to move the rails 9 and 10 by the rotation of the shaft. A. beveled'gear 25 is fixed upon the end of the shaft 12 within the housing 16. A stub-shaft 26 is mounted in vertical vposition in said housing, and a beveled gear 27 is fixed upon the lower end of said stub-shaft in mesh with the'gear 25. A plate 28 is fixed to the upper end of the stub-y shaft 26, and an arm 29 projects horizontally Y from said plate.

A housing 30 is mounted half-Way between the side-track rails 7 and 8 and outside of theV main-line rails, and a shaft 31 is mounted in position to have its ends operate in bearings in said housing 30 and the housing 16, said shaft extending under the main-line rail 6.

A beveled gear 32 is fixed upon the shaft 12 within the housing 16, and a beveledv gear 33 is xed upon the shaft 31, in mesh with the gear 32. A beveled gear 34 is iixed upon the shaft 31 within the housing 30. A stub-shaft 35 is mounted in vertical position within the housing 30, and a beveled gear 36 is fixed upon the lower end of said shaft 35, in mesh with the gear 34, as indicated in dotted lines. A plate 37 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft 35, and an arm 3S projects horizontally from said plate 37.

When the arm 21 is in the position shownthat is to say, parallel with the main-line rails-the arm 22 is in the position shown and in a line transversely of the main-line rail. Then the arm 29 is in the position shown and in a line parallel with the main-line rails and extending toward the switch or movable rails, and the arm 38 is in the position shown and in a line transversely of the side-track rails. Then the main line is open or clear.

IOO

The mechanism shown in Fig. 4 is mounted in the cab of the engine or upon the motor or car and consists of the Walking-beam 39, mounted upon the pivot and having slots in its ends, the sliding bolts 41 and 42, mounted in vertical positions in a line transversely of the track and with their lower ends extending downwardly into positions to engage the arms 2l, 22, 29, or 38, as the case may be, and having sliding pivotal connections with the end of the walking-beam 39. .An arm 43 eX- tends upwardly from the walking-beam 39 for operating the same. If a train is approaching the switch from the left and desires to take the main line, the handle 45 will be operated to raise the bolt 42 and lower the bolt 41. If, however, the train were to take the side track, the handle 45 would be operated in the opposite direction to lower the bolt 42 and raise the bolt 41. The lower end of the bolt 42 would then engage the outer end of the arm 22 and push it to the right, thus rotating the shaft 18 and rotating the rock-shaft and throwing the switch as required to send the train upon the side track.

If the train is approaching the switch from the left and it is desired to keep the main line and the switch happens to be open as required to send the train upon the side track, then the lower end of the bolt 41 will strike the outer end of the arm 21 and operate the switch. When the train is approaching the switch on the right, with the switch in the position shown, ofcourse no operation is necessary; but if the switch happens to be open as required to admit trains from the side track to the main line then one of the bolts 4l or 42 will strike the outer end of the arm 29 and operate the switch; but if the train is approaching the switch from the side track one of the bolts 41 or 42 will be operated to strike the outer end of the arm 38 and operate the switch.

If desired, the stub-shafts 28" and 35 may be mounted in horizontal positions and the arms 29 and 38 mounted to operate in vertical positions. With thisconstruction it is only necessary to use two of the stub-shafts 18, as shown in Fig. 5, and instead of the plate 20 and the arms 21 and 22 attach an arm 46 to the outer end of one of the shafts 18 and an arm 47 to the outer end of the other one of the shafts 18, said arms 46 and 47 being arranged relative to each other in such a manner that when one is ina vertical position the other will be in a horizontal position, and vice versa. Of course the mechanism carried by the engine may be modified accordingly.

If desired, the shafts may be mounted parallel with the rails and outside of the track instead of .between the rails.

I claim- In a switch, a rock-shaft mounted parallel with the main-line rails, a second rock-shaft mounted parallel with the side-track rails, a beveled-gear connection between said shafts, a connection between the first mentioned shaft and the movable switch-rails whereby the switch-rails are moved, shafts mounted at angles relative to the rst and second mentioned shafts, beveled-gear connections between the last-mentioned shafts and the rst and second mentioned shafts, and arms attached to the last-mentioned shafts for operating the same, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN F. RUHLAND. 

